Skin resurfacing is a treatment for the skin; it refreshes the skin layers and creates smooth looking skin. Skin resurfacing can be done at any age, but the patient should consult the surgeon for the best suited skin resurfacing treatment for his/her condition.Aging, sun exposure, heredity and lifestyle factors including nutrition, alcohol consumption and smoking all may contribute to facial wrinkling. Pigment changes of the skin, such as blotchiness or brown spots, may also occur with age or as a result of birth control pills, pregnancy or genetic factors. Prior acne may have made the surface of your skin uneven. These problems, as well as certain other skin conditions, may be improved by skin resurfacing.

Depending on the skin resurfacing techniques selected, it is possible to improve the appearance of skin. Skin resurfacing techniques deal only with the surface of the skin, however; procedures such as face-lift surgery or eyelid surgery may be needed to repair other age-related skin changes.

Skin resurfacing procedures performed for cosmetic reasons diminish the appearance of wrinkles around the mouth or eyes. Physicians sometimes combine techniques, using dermabrasion or laser resurfacing on some areas of the face, while performing a chemical peel on other areas.

The ideal candidate for Skin Resurfacing has minimal sag or severe skin excess but many fine lines and rhytides. Patients with fair complexions are better suited to peels primarily because of possible post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation in other skin colors. If a deep peel is necessary, discussing the likely probability of hypo-pigmentation with the patient is best to ensure that when it occurs it is an acceptable result. Patients with active herpesvirus infections are not good candidates for resurfacing procedures. Persons who tend to scar easily may also experience poor results. Patients who have recently used the oral acne medication isotretinoin (Accutane) may be at higher risk of scarring following skin resurfacing.

The different kinds of skin resurfacing treatments are as follows:-

Chemical peel: The surgeon removes the top layers of skin by the use of a harsh or caustic solution. Chemical peels vary a lot depending on their concentration and ingredient. The depth of the peeling is determined by the concentration, duration of contact and where the peel is compressed on to the skin. There are several chemical peels which include phenol, trichloroacetic acid and glycolic acid. There are a variety of chemical peels for different skin types, severity, and type of surgery.

Laser resurfacing: Laser resurfacing vaporizes the upper layer of the skin, leaving it smooth and with no marks. Lasers are fast catching on as the preferred method for skin resurfacing. The only downside to lasers is the cost which can range upwards of $ 5000 and above.

Dermabrasion: This skin resurfacing procedure uses a high speed rotating wheel which abrades the skin and a laser that removes the skin layers by causing fragmentation. The dermabrasion takes off the upper layer and leaves smooth face with no wrinkles, pigmentation spots, or scars. The amount of skin removed is dependent on the compression applied by the physician. The only downside to dermabrasion is the downtime. The recovery is somewhat prolonged.

Radiofrequency Resurfacing: This skin resurfacing procedure is a modification of laser resurfacing - the use of low frequency radiofrequency energy. This method has been shown to be effective in erasing wrinkles around the eyes, nose and mouth. Compared to the other methods, the technique is less painful and has a rapid recovery.

Choose only a certified, well known surgeon to perform the skin resurfacing.

Ask for before and after pictures from the surgeon, so you will know what to expect and what the results may be.

Ask your surgeon about the different options to have skin resurfacing and also ask for risks and complications of any skin resurfacing treatment.

If you have a face lift, nose job, or any other facial surgery, you can combine the surgery with skin resurfacing.

After you perform any of the skin resurfacing treatments, you should not expose yourself to the sun, talk to your surgeon to estimate for how long.

After the skin resurfacing surgery, expect to have pinkish or reddish skin, you will be able to apply some makeup to conceal it only 2 weeks after the skin resurfacing surgery. Make sure you don`t over do for about 1 month after the skin resurfacing surgery. The skin resurfacing treatments are not permanent and you might need to redo them one day because the body keeps aging.

Please note that the best results after a skin resurfacing procedure are seen 6 - 10 months after treatment and are due to new collagen formation under the site of your wrinkles or acne scarring. Do not feel despondent. Your resurfaced skin will usually continue to improve with time up to ten months after the procedure.

Complications of skin resurfacing techniques can be serious, including infection and scarring. Patients who tend to scar easily may get poor results. Skin resurfacing procedures can reactivate herpes infections or lead to new, sometimes serious infections. All skin resurfacing techniques intentionally create skin wounds, which means that scarring is possible. These problems can be minimized by using antiviral drugs before the procedures and good wound care afterward. Selection of an experienced, reputable surgeon is important.

Planing on having skin resurfacing procedure in Guatemala?Here is some General Information about Guatemala:

Guatemala VolcanoesVolc?n Tacan? (4093m) Volc?n Tajumulco (4220m) Volc?n Santa Mar?a (3772m) Volc?n Atitl?n (3537m) Volc?n Acatenango (3976m) Volc?n de Ipala (1650m) Volc?n de Pacaya (2500m) - this is an active volcano about 30 minutes outside of Antigua. Some days it will not be accessible as the volcano may be too active to observe safely. Bring a jacket since it will be windy and cold at the top (although the ground will feel warm) and wear long pants as the volcanic rock can easily give you a nice cut. Volc?n San Pedro (3450m)

Guatemala skin resurfacing - Tip of the day:Do I need to prepare for Skin Resurfacing?Before subjecting you to any skin resurfacing technique, your doctor in Guatemala(GT) will take you through the pretreatment phase. You will need to apply certain creams, gels and lotions for a certain amount of time. At times, you might also need to take some oral medication before skin resurfacing is done.

Guatemala skin resurfacing - News update:Results from a new national survey demonstrate that elevated allergen levels in the home are associated with asthma symptoms in allergic individuals. The study suggests that asthmatics that have allergies may alleviate symptoms by reducing allergen exposures inside their homes. The work was carried out by researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), the University of Iowa, Rho Inc., and the Constella Group. The team's findings may help millions of Americans who suffer from asthma.
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